Improvement in garters



'UNITED STATES PATENT .OEEIGE HENRY A. HOUSE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN GARTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 109,737, dated November 29, 1870.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. HOUSE, of Bridgeport, in the county of Faireld and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Elastic Metallic Garter; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, makin g part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a View of the garter complete. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in section, showing the mode of applying the springs and internal stay to one of the clasps. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the garter, enlarged.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in the several gures.

The nat-ure of my invention consists, first, in an uncovered wire-spring garter or band which has its adjoining springs connected and stayed at one or more points between its fastening ends, as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth; second, in a stay or stays arranged within an uncovered wire-sprin g garter or band; third, in clasps which are slotted and notched in such manner that the ends of the springs can be firmly secured to them without solder or rivets.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe it.

In the accompanying drawing, A A represent two helical springs, which have claspplates B C secured to their extremities, and which inclose ilexible stays b b.

The springs A A are elliptical or flattened, as shown in the cross-section, so that when connected together by the clasp-plates B C they constitute a garter which is much broader in one direction than in another, and which will adapt itself comfortably to the 'surface about which it is clasped.

The clasp-plate B has a tongue, a., formed on its end, which, when it is inserted through the slot c, made through the clasp-plate C, will unite the ends of the garter. Each claspplate is constructed with two tongues, t t, which are separated bya narrow interval, and which are slotted at g g.

The tongues receive upon them the ends of the springs A A, which latter are secured to the plate by the contraction of the terminal coils into notches i, as shown in Fig. 2. By thus notching the tongues t t and applying the springs to them, the use of solder isrendered unnecessary, and firm attachments are effected with great facility.

The notches i may be made into the inner or outer edges of the tongues.

The slots g g are narrow and oblong, and terminate outwardly in enlarged holes, through which knots formed on the ends of the strings b b can be freely passed. These slots are thus adapted to receive and hold fast the ends of the string-stays which are used to prevent undue'etrsion of the garter.

The length of each stay b is about equal to the greatest length to which the garter can be extended without injury to the springs. Consequently the stays which are attached to the clasps will not be brought into play unless an attempt be made to stretch the springs beyond their limit.

The springs A A are soldered or otherwise suitably fastened together laterally at one or more points, as indicated at o: in the drawing. By thus fastening them together any tendency of their separating unduly or interlocking one wind or coil into another is obviated. This is a matter of great importance, especially so far as the interlocking the coils into one another is concerned, for whenever the springs are unduly stretched the coils will interlock one another, and thus interfere with the Vproper elastic action of the springs; but by the use of the stays x this is effectually prevented.

I have described the coils as being attened; and while this is the very best' form to be used and a nice operation is required to produce it, I do not limit myinvention to the same,

but shall, if found desirable, use round coils.

I am aware that coils have been placed alongside one another and covered in with leather or other inelastic and non-ventilating material, and therefore I do not claim the same as my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An uncovered wire-spring garter or band which hasits adjoining springs connected and t t, notched, as described, to receive and hold 'J stayed at one or more points between its fastenthe ends of the springs A A, substantially as ing ends, substantially es described. described.

2. A stay or stays, b, arranged within an HENRY A. HOUSE. uncovered wire -sprng garter or band, sub- Witnesses: stantially as described. J. H. VINTON,

3. Theciztsp-plittes constructed with tongues GEORGE C. BISHOP. 

